QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8ml

Earthquake near Florence, OR

No earthquake was likely felt in Florence in the 24 hours to 8:00 pm PST (04:00 UTC). The last one was M 5.5, 259 km (161 mi) WSW, at 4:35 am PDT on 29 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 22 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Florence

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 32 km (20 mi) north-northeast of Florence, OR, at 3:21 pm PDT on 26 September 2017 (22:21 UTC), 24 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 13 km ESE of Yachats, Oregon

70 km (43 mi) WNW of Eugene, OR

3:21 pm PDT, Sep 26, 2017 · · 24 km deep · released about 430 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lincoln County 43 kmBenton County 50 kmPolk County 84 kmLane County 92 kmLinn County 116 kmCoos County 119 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
3:21 pm PDT on 26 September 2017 ()
Where
32 km (20 mi) north-northeast of Florence, OR · earthquakes near Florence
Magnitude
M 2.8 (ml)
Depth
24 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Lincoln County, 43 km N
Nearest mapped fault
Cascadia fold and fault belt, 15 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1558 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 11 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Florence, 32 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Waldport.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 430 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 35,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 25,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 430 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 44.2518, -123.9532. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lincoln County, OR 43 km (27 mi) N earthquakes near Lincoln County
Benton County, OR 50 km (31 mi) ENE earthquakes near Benton County
Polk County, OR 84 km (52 mi) NNE earthquakes near Polk County
Lane County, OR 92 km (57 mi) ESE earthquakes near Lane County
Linn County, OR 116 km (72 mi) ENE earthquakes near Linn County
Coos County, OR 119 km (74 mi) S earthquakes near Coos County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

35 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.7 29 km WNW of Yachats, Oregon
  2. 1.7 10 km S of Alsea, Oregon
  3. 1.9 3 km NW of Yachats, Oregon
  4. 1.9 23 km WNW of Yachats, Oregon
  5. 1.9 16 km SSE of Toledo, Oregon
  6. 2.7 27 km WNW of Yachats, Oregon
  7. 1.7 28 km ESE of Florence, Oregon
  8. 1.6 18 km WNW of Yachats, Oregon
  9. 2.3 29 km W of Waldport, Oregon
  10. 1.8 27 km WNW of Yachats, Oregon
  11. 1.9 12 km E of Toledo, Oregon
  12. 1.5 28 km WNW of Yachats, Oregon
  13. 1.9 30 km W of Yachats, Oregon
  14. 1.8 31 km W of Yachats, Oregon
  15. 1.8 31 km W of Yachats, Oregon

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.